Page 70 of All My Broken Pieces

I bark a laugh, shoving my hands into my back pockets and leaning back. “Oh?” I chuckle, arching an eyebrow. “And how do you plan to do that?”

Bitch still hasn’t learned.

I can feel the excitement growing at the promise of letting out some of the pent up need for violence, something I haven’t been able to do since my arrest. Not really.

Taking a step closer, she invades my space. “I’m going to show you the little bitch you really are,puta.”

Her and that fucking word.

I roll my eyes. “I’m going to tell you once. Back the fuck off.”

“Or what?” Zandra sneers, leaning in closer.

My teeth grind as the smell of musty laundry and a hint of unscented bath soap hits my nose.

I stare her down, my mind splitting between the horrific woman before me and one equally as terrible from my past. A moment of clarity hits me, and I feel the first pang of excitement I’ve felt since this whole ordeal started.

Without another word, I snap my hand out, gripping her hair at the back of her neck and pulling. She lets out a pained cry, clawing at my hand in a useless attempt to free herself.

Tightening my hold, I kick out my leg, knocking hers out from under her. She crumples to the ground, continuing her ear piercing cries as I pull harder against her scalp. “I warned you.” I hum, spinning out of the way when she tries to throw a punch at my midsection. Tsking, I slip behind her, adjusting my grip in her hair and placing my boot on the middle of her back.

With my full weight behind it, I push her chest to the ground, kneeling beside her head to whisper, “Should have listened.”

“Ple-please.” She whimpers, but the sound just further fuels my bloodlust.

Rolling her onto her back, I move to straddle her body. When my fist connects with her face, a relieved breath escapes my lungs.

Finally.

As my fists fly forward, I feel myself releasing all the pain and anger I’ve held inside for so long. I unleash all the rage I’ve felt over Zandra and Suzie and all the other bullies I’ve had to endure throughout my life. All the backhanded insults, all the hollow threats that carried more weight than they should, all the emotional agony inflicted by thesewomen.

Punch after punch land on her broken and bloodied face, and before long her whimpered cries quiet. My chest heaves asI pummel her with my fists, letting out all the pain, anger, and heartbreak.

When I come to my senses, I look down in a horrified glee to find Zandra’s lifeless eyes staring up into the sky.

Fuck.

I can’t help the excitement I feel at finally letting go, but I also know I can’t stay here.

Looking at my split knuckles covered in her blood, I try to formulate a plan.

First things first, gotta hide the body.

Glancing over my shoulder, I confirm with a breath of relief that no one had come out to inspect the commotion. Leaping to my feet, I grab her limp arms and drag her into the corner of the yard, hunting around for something to cover her body.

It doesn’t have to be perfect, just enough to buy me some time.

My eyes land on a discarded plywood board across the lawn.

That’ll work.

Sprinting across the grass, I drag the large board over and angle it to cover Zandra’s body, bending to quickly wipe the blood on my hands onto her shirt before sliding the covering in place.

Okay, quick shower, change of clothes, then a phone call.

I can do this.

My heart thrums with the adrenaline from the kill.

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